Bixby Village Golf Course

Bixby Village Golf Course sits in Long Beach, California, and was designed by the Australian team of Peter Thomson, Michael Wolveridge, and Ross Fream. Thomson, a five-time Open Championship winner, collaborated with Wolveridge and Fream on numerous courses during the latter decades of the twentieth century, bringing a strategic, ground-game sensibility influenced by classic links design to parkland and resort settings. The course reflects this design philosophy with an emphasis on playability and strategic options rather than penal hazards. The layout occupies relatively flat terrain typical of the Long Beach area, with the design team working within the constraints of an urban Southern California setting. The routing incorporates water features and mature landscaping that frame holes and provide definition to the playing corridors. The course serves a municipal function, offering accessible golf to the Long Beach community while maintaining design principles that reward thoughtful play and course management. Thomson-Wolveridge-Fream courses generally favor wide fairways with strategic bunkering that encourages players to consider angles of approach rather than simply hitting for distance. The greens typically feature subtle contours that require careful reading. Bixby Village operates as a public facility, providing year-round golf in the mild coastal climate of Southern California. The course represents the design team's work in bringing strategic golf architecture to everyday municipal settings, balancing challenge with playability for a broad range of golfers.